Page 101 of Fated In Ruin
Instead, my power had settled, like a deep bottomless lake at my core, cold and dark at its depths, with a flawlessly silver surface as silver-bright as the box that used to contain it.
But no box could contain my power now.
No, my magic had taken on cosmic proportions, expanding further and wider than I dared to explore. If I’d ever craved power, I now had more than I’d ever imagined.
Perhaps more than was wise.
Blake rolled over, those soft, magical lips instantly finding the juncture of my throat and collarbone, even with his eyes still closed. Shadows raced over his skin like a storm, a darkness that almost felt alive.
“You taste like heaven,” Blake murmured against my skin, never stopping his exploring, one hand cupping my breast, his fingers rolling my hardening nipple. Every single part of me wanted this. Wanted to lay in bed all day with these two, exploring and teasing and licking and…
“We have to go after Ravok,” I sighed, setting my hand over Blake’s. “While he’s still weak. While he least expects an attack.”
Riordan was awake—watching us with hooded eyes and I wondered just how long he’d been up. “Nash is downstairs; his men are preparing to leave. If we strike fast, we’ll have the element of surprise.”
“You two,” Blake dragged his fangs up the side of my throat, “are absolutely no fun at all.”
“Do we have a plan of attack?” I asked.
“Absolutely no fun at all,” Blake growled. “Ruining a perfectly lazy morning in bed with talk of war.”
“The compound has weaknesses,” Riordan continued, combing through my hair before winding a curl around his finger. “Virgil's intel shows at least three entry points. The southeast corridor would be our best bet—minimal guard rotation, closest access to Ravok's quarters.”
My heart began racing with possibility—also from Blake’s tongue tracing a lazy trail down over my stomach. For the first time, my magic was equal to Ravok’s, and the power thrumming through my veins wasn't only mine—it wasours, transformed by what we’d shared.
That had to count forsomething.
“How fast can he make thralls? Like build another army?”
“Weeks, at most, but…” Riordan’s eyes darkened. “There were over two hundred of them yesterday. Which means he created those in less than a week.”
“The battle weakened him, though,” Blake pointed out, never stopping his thorough exploration of my now-quivering body. “It’ll take him time to recuperate, and the fucker can’t do both at the same time.”
Maybe Ravok had already seen what came next, maybe he knew exactly what we were planning, but this moment felt…momentous. We had to stop him, and my gut told me we were stronger together.
“We can finish this,” I breathed. “With Virgil's inside knowledge, we’ll have an edge...but only if we do this together.” I added softly, “it needs to be all four of us.”
Blake straightened immediately, tension tightening his shoulders as he pushed away from me. “No. Absolutely not.”
“Evangeline...” Riordan's voice hummed with warning.
“We need Malachi,” I insisted. “Wedo. His power complements ours perfectly. And…we have to find out more about that brown haired vampire, Romulus. There’s something between him and Malachi.”
“Draven can't be…” Blake growled, dark hair framing his face, eyes snapping with fury. “Look, I know you want to think the best of him, but after his lies and plotting, after almost killing you by sending you back with a magical talisman you didn’t even fucking know how to use…”
“That wasn't his fault and you know it,” I cut him off. “He made a snap decision to save me and he wasn’t a hundred percent right. Would you have rather Ravok sunk his claws into me?”
Blake blanched, then slowly shook his head. “No, that’s not what I’m saying. But taking him with us…do you really want to spend the entire time looking over your shoulder?”
Riordan and Blake exchanged a look I knew well—they were united in their opposition. But they hadn’t seen what I’d seen. They couldn’t look past their anger to see therealMalachi, the honorable male hidden beneath layers of arrogance and pride and damage. The male who wanted Ravok dead as much…no,morethan we did.
I slid out from between them, my mind made up.
My shirt still stank of spent magic and the faint reek of rot, and there was blood on my jeans, but they’d have to do. I was dressed in under a minute, a perk of growing up in a military household.
“I'm going to ask him to come,” I announced, plunging my feet into my dusty boots and heading for the door. “This isn't up for debate. We need him. And deep down, even though you’d never admit it, you both know I'm right.”
“Evangeline, wait,” Riordan called after me, but I was already through the door.
